Looking to return to the upper echelon of ECAC Hockey and get back into the national spotlight, the Clarkson University Hockey team will count on the Class of 2013 to play a leading role in the Golden Knights’ turnaround. George Roll, the Leonard S. Ceglarski Endowed Chair, who is entering his seventh year as Clarkson’s head coach, along with associate coach Greg Drechsel and assistant coach Jean-Francois Houle have brought in eight freshmen, consisting of three forwards, four defensemen, and one goaltender, to bolster the Green and Gold roster.
The coaching staff will be looking for the incoming recruits, forwards Adam Pawlick, Peter Massar and Matt Wilson; defensemen Andrew Himelson, Nikhola Grenier-Pokulok, Patrick McEachen and Jordan Ciccarello; and goaltender Cody Rosen to make their mark right away.
“Obviously we are very pleased with this year’s recruiting class,” stated Roll. “We feel they are a very talented, hardworking group to back up last year’s solid freshman class. We look forward to this class being a big part of our success. They are a very competitive class overall and that is an area we need to improve upon. We felt strongly that we needed some guys up front to provide us some scoring, and we also needed some depth at the blueline and in goal. With the guys we are bringing in, we feel that they will really push the upperclassmen.”
Pawlick (1/29/90) was a leading scorer for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL last season. A 6-0, 185-pound forward from Utica, NY, he recorded 33 points in 53 games, including 20 goals. “Adam had a very good career at Salisbury as the leading scorer at the prep school two years ago,” stated Roll. “He decided to finish his high school out in the USHL last year and had a solid season scoring 20 goals for Sioux City. He is a pure goal scorer who can shoot the puck. He is very similar in style of play to Steve Zalewski ’08. We feel Adam will make an immediate impact.”
The second-leading scorer for the Green Mountain Glades of the EJHL, coached by former Clarkson player Chris Line ‘02, Massar (11/15/88) will help bolster the Knights’ scoring effort up front. A 5-8, 170 pound forward from Williston, VT, he scored 16 goals and 38 assists for 54 points in 36 games last season. “Peter is the type of guy you want on your team. He is an older player who works extremely hard in all situations. He is a very good penalty killer and is dangerous on the power play. Chris Line speaks very highly of Peter and we expect him to make an immediate impact.”
Wilson (4/21/90) has strong ties to the Clarkson program with his uncle being the Golden Knights’ all-time leading goal scorer Kevin Zappia ’79. A 5-9, 175-pound forward from North Syracuse, NY, Wilson played for the Syracuse Stars in the EJHL in 2008-09 and put up 61 points on 23 goals and 38 assists through 44 games. “Matt was one of the top players in the EJHL and is a very competitive individual. He works every shift and will find his way in the lineup one way or another. He is a great team player. Matt has always wanted to be a Golden Knight. I am sure he will have an outstanding career for us.”
Another NY native, who played in the USHL last year for Des Moines, Himelson (2/24/90) established himself as a well-rounded defenseman for the Buccaneers. The 5-9, 180-pound Monroe, NY native skated in 43 games and recorded three goals and five assists. “Andrew had a very good junior career in the EJHL and then made the jump to the USHL last season where he was a solid defenseman in the league for Des Moines. He is an offensive-minded defenseman, who makes a good first pass. He will provide us some offensive punch from the blueline.”
The younger brother of former Cornell all-star Sasha Pokulok, Nikhola Grenier-Pokulok (5/9/90) is an impressive addition to the Clarkson roster after a strong season at Northwood Prep. A native of Vaudreuil-Dorion, QUE, Grenier-Pokulok, will be one of the biggest players in the Knights’ line-up as a 6-5, 220-pound blueliner. “Nik has very good size and plays a physical game. He is more of a stay-at-home defenseman, but has the ability to do some things offensively. He will provide us with an intimidating presence on the blueline. We certainly expect Nik to come in and make a strong impact in ECAC Hockey.”
McEachen (2/7/91), the younger cousin of former Clarkson standout Mike Sullivan ’07, is a rugged, 6-1, 187-pound defenseman who played for the Stouffville Spirits in the OJHL. He skated in 49 games last season, recording 33 points, including 26 assists. Through his two-year career with the Spirits, the Stouffville native amassed 109 penalty minutes. “Patrick is a true freshman who had an outstanding career for Stouffville,” said Roll. “He is a tough competitor, who plays at a high level offensively. He has great vision on the ice, makes a good outlet pass and is very good on the power play. We expect Patrick to come in and put up some big numbers for us.”
At 6-0, 195 pounds, New Hartford, CT native Ciccarello (12/27/90) will also provide size and strength on the Clarkson blueline after playing at South Kent Prep last season. “Jordan had some injuries to deal with last year at South Kent, but he is a tough, hard-nosed, stay-at-home defenseman,” remarked Roll. “He will certainly be a factor on our blueline. We expect Jordan to step in and provide a physical presence on defense.”
Rosen (9/27/90) played a role in helping the Kingston Voyageurs to the OJHL Championship and a berth in the semifinals of the Royal Bank Cup Canadian Junior "A" Hockey Championships last season. A 5-10, 165-pound goaltender, the Kingston, ONT native posted a 14-3 record, including three shutouts in a back-up role. He held a .899 save percentage and a 2.90 goals against average through 18 games. “Cody played some valuable minutes last year for a very good Kingston team, and is a guy who will push both Paul (Karpowich) and Richie (LeVeau). Cody is a very good team player with a great work ethic who will provide us with added depth in the crease.”
Clarkson, led by junior captain Scott Freeman (Whitby, ONT) and assistant captains, senior Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) and junior Brandon DeFazio (Oakville, ONT), will officially open its 88th season of play with a weekend series at Michigan State on October 9-10.
